Britney Spears has been banned from an exclusive Los Angeles hotel
after shocking guests by "smearing food all over her face".

Troubled mother-of-two Britney can never check into the Chateau
Marmont again after diners in the hotel restaurant were appalled by
her animalistic table manners.

A "source" told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "The diners
were disgusted. You wouldn't expect that from a teenager in a fast
food joint. Royalty have dined in this restaurant. Her behaviour was
totally unacceptable."

However, it wasn't just Britney's eating habits that led to the
ban being enforced by the hotel - which is a favourite haunt of
Lindsay Lohan, Sienna Miller and Britney's ex-boyfriend Justin
Timberlake.

According to an insider, the Gimme More singer has been
"acting weird" for months, and bosses decided to impose the severe
punishment before things got out of control.

The source added: "Staff at the Chateau have been told she is not
welcome.

"She constantly looked out of it when she came in, and guests
began to make noises. The hotel acted before she made a huge scene."

The ban is the latest in a string of setbacks to Britney's
highly-anticipated career comeback, which began with her widely
panned performance at the MTV Video Music Awards earlier this month.

Now a former bodyguard has offered to testify against her in
court.

The pop star and her ex-husband Kevin Federline are battling over
custody of their sons.

Tony Barretto, 28, said in a court filing that he worked for
Spears from the time she left a rehabilitation clinic in March until
May 17, 2007, and that he watched her behaviour in and out of the
house (see story right).

Federline's attorney, Mark V Kaplan, said it was not unusual for
lawyers to decline questioning a surprise witness.

Kaplan did not discuss what went on inside the hearing, but told
reporters his client was not seeking more money from Spears. Kaplan
said a new custody hearing would likely come in mid-November. An
exact date was not yet available.

But the troubled star has at least one, very vocal, supporter.

A video
posted on YouTube by an extremely upset fan, titled Leave
Britney Alone!, has garnered more than 7 million views since
September 10.

In a long, impassioned, sometimes garbled and often weeping
message, "itschriscrocker" pleads with the media and the public over
and over to "Leave Britney alone".